When the rain reins in all hopes of fishing: PAWS

Going into the Labor Day weekend, I regret to announce I am suffering from PAWS.

Post-Acute Withdrawal Syndrome, that is.

Owing to an unfortunate concatenation of events — namely, the weather — I have not wet a line in two weeks.

So while I am past the trembling, the hot flashes and cold shivering, the hallucinations and the uncontrollable sweating, I am listless, irritable and nihilistic.

Grumpy, too.

The good news is the fact that it was 58 degrees in Lakeville this morning, Sept. 2. One thing we can count on around here: Right around Labor Day, things cool off.

It is important to remember that trout do not do well at water temperatures above 70 degrees Fahrenheit. My personal feeling is anything over 66 is out of bounds, but I am hidebound and reactionary. 

Why is this? The short version: The higher the water temperature, the lower the amount of dissolved oxygen in the water. 

It’s not that they can’t survive the higher temps. They can and do. 

It’s that if you catch them, even if you play them fast and get them back in the water with the absolute minimum of handling, they are very likely to die when they have trouble doing basic things, like breathing.

Keeping all this in mind, here is the fall 2021 plan:

The Housatonic 

The river has been unusually high this summer, and that means the trout have had more and better options for making it through the high water temperatures. It’s flowing at a hearty 5,800 cfs this morning (Sept. 2), but when things calm down in a week or two (emphasis on the latter), there will be a lot of trout coming out of the doldrums and looking for dinner. That’s in addition to the smallmouth bass.

The Farmington

A weird year on this river as well, notably in the lack of cold water coming out of the dam above Riverton. That unhappy situation will begin to revert to normal as air temperatures drop. My best guess is around the third week of September we will see a significant improvement in Farmington water temperatures, and be back in business.

Little blue lines

If you don’t have a water thermometer, get one. Last week, I was confronted with the unbelievably exasperating fact that one of my main small streams had plenty of nice clear water coursing through. Never mind fishing — I just wanted to sit in it. It would have been quite pleasant, too, as my thermometer revealed the water was between 76 and 80 degrees. Now, that was in a bottom reach, exposed to more sunlight than the mountainous areas upstream. But still.

But I’ll keep an eye on the small streams and wait for the moment when the trend is reversed.

Exploration

After being humbled by the East Branch of the Delaware River (in New York)  a few weeks back, I feel there is unfinished business there. And I am going to finish it. But next time I am going to go with someone who knows it, to minimize the floundering.

Chesterfield Gorge, East Branch, Westfield River (Mass.)

I’ve been reading about this for years, and this could be the time to go check it out. Plus there’s a tailwater section below the Knightsbridge dam, wherever that is.

That’s the general plan. Which is, of course, subject to sudden change. 

But I feel much better just thinking about it.

Latest News

A scenic 32-mile loop through Litchfield County

Whenever I need to get a quick but scenic bicycle ride but don’t have time to organize a group ride that involves driving to a meeting point, I just turn right out of my driveway. That begins a 32-mile loop through some of the prettiest scenery in northern Litchfield County.

I ride south on Undermountain Road (Route 41 South) into Salisbury and turn right on Main Street (Route 44 West). If I’m meeting friends, we gather at the parking area on the west side of Salisbury Town Hall where parking is never a problem.

Keep ReadingShow less
Biking Ancramdale to Copake

This is a lovely ride that loops from Ancramdale north to Copake and back. At just over 23 miles and about 1,300 feet of elevation gain, it’s a perfect route for intermediate recreational riders and takes about two hours to complete. It’s entirely on quiet roads with little traffic, winding through rolling hills, open countryside, picturesque farms and several lakes.

Along the way, you’ll pass a couple of farmstands that are worth a quick visit. There is only one hill that might be described as steep, but it is quite short — probably less than a quarter-mile.

Keep ReadingShow less
Taking on Tanglewood

Aerial view of The Shed at Tanglewood in Lenox, Mass.

Provided

Now is the perfect time to plan ahead for symphonic music this summer at Tanglewood in Lenox, Massachusetts. Here are a few highlights from the classical programming.

Saturday, July 5: Shed Opening Night at 8 p.m. Andris Nelsons conducts the Boston Symphony Orchestra as Daniil Trifonov plays piano in an All-Rachmaninoff program. The Piano Concerto No. 3 was completed in 1909 and was written specifically to be debuted in the composer’s American tour, at another time of unrest and upheaval in Russia. Trifonev is well-equipped to take on what is considered among the most technically difficult piano pieces. This program also includes Symphonic Dances, a work encapsulating many ideas and much nostalgia.

Keep ReadingShow less
James H. Fox

SHARON — James H. Fox, resident of Sharon, passed away on May 30, 2025, at Vassar Brothers Hospital.

Born in New York, New York, to Herbert Fox and Margaret Moser, James grew up in Hastings-on-Hudson, New York. He spent his summers in Gaylordsville, Connecticut, where he developed a deep connection to the community.

Keep ReadingShow less